


It Starts with the First

by deducemedetective



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Blackwatch Era, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-24 01:23:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9693668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deducemedetective/pseuds/deducemedetective
Summary: Jesse McCree and Genji Shimada find companionship in their Blackwatch days. Thanks to an unexpected kiss, they discover more about their feelings for each other.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Archedes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archedes/gifts).



> My contribution for the McGenji secret valentine event! This ship has honestly given me life, and I had so much fun writing for it. Shoutout to my partner @fangedmccree for the hours of headcanon smashing that served as so much inspiration for this... <3 Eli, please enjoy! I hope you like it!  
> (also what the heck I had no idea you were the author of one of my fav McGenji fics until I checked your ao3 before I posted this?? <3)

Most normal twenty-something year-olds cherish the summer months. No college classes. Sunny, warm weather. Road trips, days at the beach, camping, hiking. Spending time with friends and family. Their biggest worries usually only consisting of peeling sun burns or gas money.

Most normal twenty-something year-olds also aren’t agents in a covert black-ops organization. They don’t have to worry about 3AM drills. Repeating mission simulations until they dream about them. Road trips spent in the back of an armored car, suited up and weapons at the ready. Camping in the desert for a stakeout, for a minute chance that an extremely dangerous terrorist leader might make an appearance. No, those things probably never cross the mind of a normal twenty-something year-old enjoying their summer break.

Then again, Jesse McCree and Genji Shimada have never really fit into the label of “normal”.

An ex-criminal and a cyborg ninja—what a pair. Both brought to Overwatch through different paths that ended up crossing once, twice, before eventually running almost parallel. The two were practically inseparable. Where one went, the other was surely not far behind. Though, for as much time they spent with one another, they never really accepted the label of “couple”. Never kissed, never slept together (sexually, at least—they’d shared a bed countless times), and despite being asked by fellow agents, their reply was the same: “Just friends”.

Jesse had learned early on not to get involved in relationships. Especially during his time in Deadlock… He’d been conditioned to resist attachment at all costs. It was a distraction, a liability. Getting close to someone would only make it hurt more when he inevitably had to witness their death. Put simply, Deadlock had a high turnover rate. Jesse was one of the lucky ones.

Genji could relate, on a less extreme level. Growing up as an heir to the Shimada clan definitely took a toll on his outlook of healthy relationships. Unnecessary and messy. Too full of drama. Useful only if money was involved. He endured a few rocky flings, but none of them lasted. And then there was the incident that nearly cost him his life… Romance had been the least of Genji’s worries for quite a while.

They found comfort in each other. Complimentarily broken.

* * *

Their first kiss was unplanned and unexpected, as first kisses tend to be.

The mission was only intended to be a scouting one. In and out, get an approximate layout of a suspected Talon base, without detection. No fights, no mess. Of course, no plan could be perfect. All it took was a miscalculation of guard shift changes. Jesse and Genji rounded a corner—and had mere seconds to react.

A squad of two agents and two omnics came at them full force, intent on killing the intruders. Jesse already had his gun drawn, the two human agents dropping to the ground before they could even alert any others on their comms. Genji’s sword cut through the omnics’ bodies like butter, but not before they managed to get in a few shots. The ninja deflected the bullets easily, dispatching them at close range while the shells of the spent rounds still clattered to the ground. It wasn’t until Genji turned around that he noticed Jesse was hurt.

“Jesse--!” He was at his companion’s side in an instant, alarm clear in his voice.

“’M fine,” Jesse was already insisting, even as he dropped to one knee with a pained grunt. He clutched his right thigh, blood spilling through his fingers. A bullet had caught him in the leg, missing arteries, but definitely rendering him immobile. “Let’s get ta cover. Call medic transport, we’ll be out in no time—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Jesse was being lifted. Genji slipped one arm under the cowboy’s knees and the other around his waist, hoisting him up in a firm embrace, not unlike a groom carrying his bride. Jesse sputtered, not in pain but in honest surprise—he knew Genji was strong, but… Hell, Jesse McCree was not a small man by any means.

“We do not have time to wait for a transport,” Genji flatly explained, seeming unbothered by Jesse’s weight. And then, speaking into his comm, “McCree and I are returning to point B. He has sustained an injury—non-lethal, but he needs medical attention immediately.”

He began to walk at a hurried pace, nearing a slow jog. Jesse had no choice but to sit in the ninja’s hold, wrapping one arm around his neck while using his free hand to apply pressure to the bullet wound. It was mesmerizing, almost, how easily Genji moved so swiftly while carrying him. At this pace, it didn’t take them long to reach the safehouse and, after ensuring they hadn’t been followed, were able to breathe sighs of relief.

The pair was greeted at once by Angela, who curtly instructed Genji to set Jesse down so she could take a look at the wound—which required the removal of Jesse’s pants. There were a few comments muttered under Angela’s breath about “that ridiculous belt buckle” and “chaps are not even close to regulation dress code”, but nevertheless she went about her work. Genji assisted as much as he was allowed, but he mostly stood by to give Jesse moral support.

“Shoulda moved outta the damn way,” the cowboy was chastising himself. “Watched it take aim at me n’ I just stood there like a dumbass—”

“Jesse.” Genji’s calm voice interrupted him, one metal hand moving to rest over Jesse’s. “You can’t beat yourself up for not dodging a bullet… Even I have difficulties doing so,” he added with small smirk and a gentle teasing lilt in his voice. It earned a huff from Jesse, but he felt his hand close around Genji’s and squeeze. A silent thank-you.

Angela offered no comment, other than reminding McCree to take it easy so the wound would heal properly without reopening. She stepped away to tend to something else, heel clicks fading, leaving a concerned Genji and a half-naked Jesse alone. A few moments of silence passed between them before Jesse sat up carefully with a grunt.

Genji leaned forward, protesting, “You should rest—”

“I’ll rest when I’m dead, sugar. ‘Sides, Angie numbed my leg up, I ain’t in any pain. I promise.” He offered a smile to Genji as proof. The cyborg felt his heart skip as it always did when Jesse smiled like that. Bright, genuine… the man was the embodiment of sunshine at times.

Genji sighed and shook his head the way an exasperated parent did for their troublemaking child. Both hands reached up to the release mechanisms on his face plate. With a hiss of air, the metal piece came loose, and was set on the table beside Jesse’s cot. A few unruly tufts of green hair stuck out from under the rest of Genji’s helmet, a stark contrast to his fair features.

Jesse was staring. Even after spending so much time around Genji without his face plate, the sight of his friend’s face always managed to take his breath away. He was just… so beautiful. The laugh lines and the crinkles at the corners of his eyes that lived on beneath his scars never failed to bring a warm, fuzzy feeling to Jesse’s chest.

Genji rubbed tiredly at his eyes, blinking a few times before noticing Jesse’s stare. He stared right back for a moment, one eyebrow arching in inquiry. And then he grinned, unable to hold back a soft chuckle.

“What?”

Jesse blinked, averting his gaze as his cheeks began to turn a shade of red. “Nothin’. Nothin’, I just…” His eyes flicked to Genji again. That smile that had become so familiar, so comforting. Bringing Jesse so much joy and contentment. A thought crossed his mind—a thought that he’d had countless times before, but he chose now to finally act upon it. One hand reached out to hook around the back of Genji’s neck, pulling him into a firm kiss.

The cyborg made a soft noise of surprise, his shoulder vents immediately releasing a flustered puff of steam. But he didn’t pull away… Eyelids fluttering closed, Genji found himself pressing forward into the kiss, returning it. Sighing fondly at the way Jesse’s stubble tickled his lips. Too soon, the contact ended, leaving their faces mere inches from each other, breaths mingling in the space between them. 

Jesse spoke first, leaning forward to let his forehead rest against Genji’s. “Thank you,” his voice was barely a whisper, the breath of his words falling warmly onto Genji’s lips.

“For what?” came Genji’s reply, just as breathless.

“For… everythin’.” He wondered if Genji could hear how loud his heart was pounding. It sure felt like it might burst from his chest at any moment. “For bein’ here, for savin’ my ass more times than I can count. For bein’ my best friend. I wouldn’t be here without ya, Genj.”

The sincerity in his tone caught Genji off guard, but it honestly touched him. It was a rarity to hear Jesse speak so genuinely about his emotions. They’d had their share of heart to heart talks, but this seemed… different. Like there was something still left unsaid.

“Jesse…” Genji wasn’t sure how to respond at first. “I… could say the same about you. You have helped me in more ways than you know. Thank you…”

They both fell silent. Neither spoke, but they didn’t have to. They just shared the moment, letting it last. Their foreheads still pressed together, lips close enough to lightly brush. Again, it was Jesse to break the silence, this time with a quiet chuckle. Genji leaned back to look at him, an amused smirk on his lips.

“What is so funny?”

“Heh, figures… that our first kiss would have me wounded n’ pantsless. Least I ain’t buck ass naked,” he added with a snort of amusement.

It prompted a laugh from Genji, too, genuine and full. “I would not have it any other way…”

* * *

The first kiss turned out to be a catalyst; from then on, it felt so much easier to express their affection for each other through physical contact. Kisses start weaving their way into part of Jesse and Genji’s daily routine. It isn’t even about anything sexual… it’s just the act of being together, of being close. Sharing each other’s presence.

When Genji spends the night in Jesse’s room, they cuddle under the blankets and fit together like puzzle pieces. Jesse’s lips always drift to the cyborg’s face, his favorite place to kiss. Soft pecks to Genji’s hairline, his forehead, his temple. Trailing feather-light over his brow and eyelids, to the curve where his nose meets his cheek. Following the line of his synthetic jaw, the underside of his chin (and sometimes blowing a raspberry onto his neck, just to make Genji squeal and laugh). To the corners of his mouth, teasing, before catching his lips in a proper kiss. And in the morning—lazy, drowsy smooches. Regardless of morning breath, they still crave the touch of Genji’s skin, seeking him out while half-asleep and waking him with stubbly nuzzles.

On nights when Jesse can’t sleep, Genji is there. Arms wrapped around Jesse’s waist, pressing soothing kisses to his shoulders and spine as he stands at the bathroom sink to splash cold water on his face. Genji also makes it a personal goal to memorize the scars all over Jesse’s body. Mapping them out with his lips, one by one. The puckered bullet wound here, the long slash there. Acknowledging each one with a kiss. Listening, enraptured, as Jesse recounts the stories behind them. 

It doesn’t take long for the other agents on base to notice. The stolen kisses of triumph during training sessions, holding hands while walking to the cafeteria. Gossip starts up immediately, and the questions swarm up like insistent bees. “So, you’re finally together, huh?” – “It’s about time…” – “Are you two official, now?” – but they don’t really know how to answer because, to them, nothing has changed. They’ve always felt this affection. Now, they just express it freely.

Weeks, months pass. Miraculously, Jesse manages to convince Reyes and Morrison to permit a little escapade—a summer road trip. Just Genji and Jesse. No training, no missions, no life-or-death. No killing… Just them, a car, and the road. With giddy spirits, they depart from the base without looking back, intent on enjoying the summer like they’ve always dreamed of doing. And they do… No set destination, they just drive. When they hit an ocean, they turn around and drive some more.

Halfway through the trip, they find themselves in the middle of nowhere, presumably in Utah. The car is parked in a pullout up on a cliff. They open the trunk’s hatch and lay a few blankets down in the back, a perfect space for munching on some dinner and watching the sun set behind the red-orange buttes. They sit close together, shoulder’s bumping, occasionally leaning heads against one another. As the sun begins to dip behind the cliffs at the horizon, Genji speaks.

“Hey, Jesse?”

“Mm?”

A pause. An inhale, before more hesitation. And then a decisive sigh. “I love you.” Before Jesse has a chance to reply, he rambles on, “You do not have to say it back, I just. I’ve been thinking about it a lot and while it does not even begin to fully cover all the things I feel about you, it conveys a lot of—” Genji is interrupted by Jesse’s lips on his own. A soft, yet firm kiss. An affectionate “shush”.

When Jesse pulls away, he’s smiling that sunny smile that had drawn Genji in from the very start.

“I love you, too, darlin’. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”


End file.
